tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71116746311027716082017-07-29T02:34:37.220-07:00Global GourmandeGrowing, cooking &amp; eating around the worldFlorence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-15033224020082216242014-05-24T01:00:00.002-07:002014-05-25T05:43:53.194-07:00My first cooking workshop!
I recently had the opportunity to organize a cooking workshop for a group of international ladies here in Berlin. I decided to go with the theme of bread, the symbolic and almost universal aspect of which was particularly relevant for this audience I thought. I also wanted to show how nice and rewarding it can be to take the time to bake one's own bread every so often - and that it does not Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-6524406841190218462014-05-11T03:58:00.002-07:002014-08-22T04:57:41.703-07:00Cornbread muffins
Nailed it! Here's a quick and easy recipe for a very morish cornbread, delicious on its own, spread with butter and tomato chutney, as well as as a side, especially with a stew or any dish in sauce.
I like to use a combination of spices as described below, as I feel each of them participates to the wonderful flavour of the bread. But don't worry if you don't have them all at hand and have Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-73103413056158431222014-05-02T07:54:00.003-07:002014-05-11T03:59:56.847-07:00Irish soda bread
I discovered Irish Soda Bread a few years ago while living in Hong Kong, and it's one of those foods that obsessed me until I finally found a good enough recipe to reproduce at home. Tom and I have some wonderful friends among the local Irish community there, and used to celebrate with them at the annual St Patrick's Ball. Always a thrilling party, though every year when the speeches, the gala Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-63378138182712363812014-02-01T09:17:00.000-08:002014-02-01T09:24:55.635-08:00Kaiseki!
It was Tom's birthday a few days ago and I threw myself into the preparation of a surprise Kaiseki - the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner - for the occasion. I drew inspiration from the recipe book "Everyday Harumi" by Japanese TV personality Harumi Kurihara as well as the blog Christine's Recipes - and highly recommend both sources for the recipes they present are not just reliable and Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-61951618954359447822014-01-26T08:18:00.000-08:002014-01-26T08:28:26.381-08:00Candied mashed sweet potatoes
As often, I am very late with my posts and it is now high time to finish this Thanksgiving series. This being said, nothing prevents you from preparing these recipes outside the festive season, and it was actually early February when I sampled this lip-smacking side dish for the first time. Tom and I were staying at our friends' Dianne and John in Edmonton, Canada, where the Winter is very long Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-61507790565776122172013-12-29T02:04:00.000-08:002014-01-26T08:20:50.225-08:00Pecan pie
In the continuation of my Thanksgiving/Christmas series, here's a fairly easy recipe for a rich and very nutty pecan pie. For my first attempt baking this American classic, I referred to the recipe featured in the gorgeous book "Cake Days" by the Hummingbird Bakery, and left aside the chocolate chips as I wanted my pie as traditional as possible for our Thanksgiving party. It was so popular Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-1322239788908176742013-12-27T06:13:00.001-08:002014-01-26T08:21:02.760-08:00Roast turkey stuffed with clementines and rosemary
Okay both Thanksgiving and Christmas are over, but turkey can be eaten anytime after all - and I feel this precious recipe should be written down and shared before it gets lost. A big thanks to our friend Hendrik (once a cook at Berlin's famous Adlon Hotel!) for preparing this incredibly moist and tasty turkey for our Thanksgiving feast last month. The recipe may be inspired from Jamie's Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-26867151478006546702013-12-09T04:04:00.003-08:002013-12-27T06:11:05.977-08:00Easy puff pastry
Epiphany is in a month and even though Christmas is still to come, I'm already thinking of inviting some friends over for a "galette des rois" party one afternoon early January - perfect way to stay warm and cosy in the middle of the freezing Berlin winter... Last year I even took up the challenge of making my own puff pastry, and did not regret it a second. I found a simplified version of theFlorence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-49174087648133930032013-12-08T08:38:00.001-08:002014-01-26T08:21:12.831-08:00Happy Sängsgiwinn!
A big thank you to our friends who came over last week to celebrate Thanksgiving with us, and made our potluck a particularly successful one. Unfortunately our American/Canadian friends could not make it - but our party of German, French, British, Dutch and Italian took up the challenge quite superbly!
I will be sharing recipes soon - here are a few photos in the meantime. A special thanks Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-11236482938086875062013-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:002013-10-27T13:45:50.481-07:00[Corn]Bread of Heaven…or heavenly cornbread, as non-Welsh readers will probably not get my tentative play on words (which hopefully will at least amuse my dear in-laws).
5 days ago. Harlem, NYC. Red Rooster restaurant.
I am eating cornbread for the first time (or if I had some before, it wasn't memorable) - served warm along with honey butter and tomato chutney on the side.
Impression: Wow! To me, the ultimate Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-47664563526346513922012-09-30T13:40:00.000-07:002013-10-27T09:37:45.876-07:00Mexican tostadasOver six months have gone already, since I discovered the joys of Mexican cooking and shared my new fondness with a series of articles on Global Gourmande (see ¡Viva ceviche!, Rustic Mexican cooking in Sierra Norte, Chomping on churros, Perfect pastries in Mexico).
Among the many delicious specialties we had the opportunity to sample on our trail, there is one local snack in particular which IFlorence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-67618947749763317722012-07-08T12:58:00.002-07:002012-07-08T13:00:58.271-07:00Express chocolate raspberry tartlets
I had been thinking about putting such tartlets together since a friend visiting from Australia last month mentioned turning her leftover Lindt Easter bunnies into cakes. I still hadn't broken the one Tom got me this year like every year now since that Easter we spent in Hong Kong, where chocolate bunnies have not yet become a big enough tradition to pop up in a plethora of variations like I Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-28072053949322444762012-04-22T14:01:00.000-07:002012-04-22T14:09:34.779-07:00Yummy Yum Cha in Berlin
Likely to become our new residence soon, Berlin scored a solid point upon our recent visit, with some mouthwatering dim sum which will definitely make an efficient remedy, should symptoms of Hong Kong home-sickness appear..
Walking past Yumcha Heroes in Mitte around lunch time, we thought - why not give it a chance and see how our much loved steamed bites are interpreted and reproduced here Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-63856000775546860212012-04-06T02:49:00.000-07:002012-04-06T02:49:15.391-07:00Thank you Katz's
Thank you Katz's for rewarding me at last with the wow effect I have been seeking during my whole stay in New York - and on my last day too! In spite of having tried a good number of the supposedly "not-to-be-missed" spots in the Big Apple, I was often left a little disappointed, or just satisfied at best. That was until I finally walked through your doors in the Lower East Side..
Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-25822307343796017602012-03-14T20:21:00.000-07:002012-03-22T13:00:25.382-07:00Perfect pastries in Mexico
Whoever thinks croissants and other pastries are a French affair has never been to Mexico. I don't consider myself especially patriotic when it comes to baking: I'm a big fan of German bread, love British scones and Irish soda bread, remember some perfect cinnamon rolls in Sweden, and keep even sweeter memories of the bread I would have every morning of that Summer I spent in Benin, freshly Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-61514975904997070852012-03-07T18:12:00.001-08:002012-03-16T04:54:00.296-07:00Chomping on churros
We are leaving Mexico tomorrow and believe it or not, until this afternoon I still hadn't succumbed to the temptation of the fluted sticks of fried dough inherited from the Spanish over a century ago..
In order to rectify this shameful negligence as soon as possible, we saved room for dessert and headed towards la Churrería "El Moro" after lunch. An institution here in Mexico City, "El Moro" Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-60299282024075493382012-03-02T16:28:00.000-08:002012-03-22T13:12:25.704-07:00Rustic Mexican cooking in the Sierra Norte
We returned yesterday from a wonderful three-day trek in the mountainous Sierra Norte, north-east of Oaxaca de Juárez, Mexico. Not only did this excursion allow us to explore the gorgeous scenery of the region and learn about the plethora of plants growing here and their respective usages in traditional medicine and cooking, but it also gave us the opportunity to sample some delicious Mexican Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-74163945788202494502012-02-27T15:40:00.000-08:002012-03-16T04:54:50.469-07:00¡Viva Ceviche!
After stocking up on sushi and sashimi in Vancouver, it is in a very different manner that we enjoyed raw seafood on the splendid Oaxacan coast last week. Following our Mexican friends Paco and Paola's recommendation, we looked for "ceviche", that typical dish of the coastal regions of Central and South America - which over the time has developed its own distinctive style in Mexico.
Just Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-27904304626469224692012-02-20T21:08:00.000-08:002013-12-09T03:26:51.986-08:00Sushi frenzy in Vancouver
My brother had warned me - "you will love Vancouver's all-you-can-eat sushi deals". He was right. Well I did not exactly go for the all-you-can-eat specials, as I can only eat so much and I know this kind of deal never really works for me. So I would just order a la carte, but I did manage to eat raw fish every single day of our stay in Vancouver. Even our Valentine's day dinner ended up as a Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-45517381780441818482012-02-13T12:25:00.000-08:002013-12-09T03:25:11.160-08:00Pike Place Chowder, Seattle
Passing through Seattle the other day, our first excursion was none other than to the famous Pike Place Market. As it was time for some lunch and we were too hungry to wander around to assess dining options by ourselves, I asked the man in the information booth at the market entrance to recommend us a place to have a bite. He suggested Pike Place Chowder for, well good chowder. That sounded Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-50643352809722110742012-02-06T22:18:00.000-08:002013-12-09T03:23:01.683-08:00Portland Pancakes
We left Portland and our new friends Becky and Russ a week ago. Although we were no more than friends of friends seeking accommodation, after our brief time together their exceptional welcome along with some uniquely American experiences quickly made us feel like we were part of the family.
Becky and Russ are true Oregonians, which after these few days in their lovely company could be putFlorence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-70872297897974186462012-01-23T10:35:00.000-08:002013-12-09T03:14:15.897-08:00Beer and burgers in the Napa Valley
Until recently and like most probably do, I thought Napa Valley was all about award-winning wines and gourmet food. Well it is indeed, and I surely enjoyed touring around a few of the local wineries and tasting their respective Chardonnay, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Zinfandel to mention only a few. But that's not all, as people up there "in the Valley" also do other things very well, like beer andFlorence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-78848172580682665352012-01-18T22:22:00.000-08:002013-12-09T04:12:09.078-08:00Galette des rois, or kings cake
As far back as my memories go, I remember "drawing the kings", or sharing a "galette des rois" every year at or around Epiphany early January. Although the "kings cake" tradition also exists in many other countries, galette des rois is characteristic to northern France, and consists of a puff pastry case filled with almond paste or "frangipane". A small porcelain figurine or "fève" (literally Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-15472775732096716112012-01-09T17:03:00.000-08:002012-04-06T02:55:04.965-07:00Whitebait pattie stop on the West Coast
Once back on the road after welcoming the new year in the Fiordlands, we headed towards NZ's West Coast through Haast, the gateway village into NZ's Glacier Country. I had been reading that Haast was famous for whitebait fishing, a practice attracting a number of amateur fishermen eager to earn a few extra dollars since the yearly catches started to shrink and the fish to consequently gain in Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7111674631102771608.post-7220712716013646672012-01-05T13:57:00.000-08:002012-03-17T08:48:07.588-07:00Wild venison in the Fiordlands
After a decidedly disappointing venison sandwich on our first day in NZ (which we probably ordered a bit too quickly, as venison does not seem to fit that well in a sandwich thinking about it now…) we reconciled ourselves with the meat a few days later, by enjoying a superb rack of the wild game on New Year's Eve.
To celebrate the night leading into the new year as it should, we booked a Florence Annahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04117947254504614033noreply@blogger.com0